1. Field
The present invention relates to a disc device incorporated television receiver in which a control unit of a disc device having a parental function capable of setting a viewing limitation level of a disc side is connected to a control unit of a television receiver having a V-CHIP function capable of setting a viewing limitation level of a broadcasting side by a communication bus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disc device incorporated television receiver in which the viewing limitation levels of a disc device side and a television receiver side can be set in cooperation with each other, and a method for setting the viewing limitation level thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In broadcasting systems such as a terrestrial broadcasting or a cable television and a satellite broadcasting, to limit the reception of video signals including violent scenes or sexual scenes, a V-CHIP system has been proposed. In the V-CHIP system, data showing viewing limitation levels is added respectively to programs to be broadcast. In a television receiver side for receiving the programs on which a V-CHIP function is mounted, levels at which the programs can be viewed are preset, and only the programs satisfying the set levels can be received.
On the other hand, a television receiver having a viewing limitation function is also proposed in which a user looking at a television is recognized by biological information such as a fingerprint, voice and a pupil to automatically decide whether or not the viewing limitation is carried out in accordance with a result and perform the viewing limitation (for instance, see JP-A-2000-244830).
Further, in recent disc devices, for instance, some of DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) devices have parental functions mounted that can restrain the user from viewing violent scenes or sexual scenes depending on the user's age.
When the disc device on which the parental function is mounted is externally connected to the television receiver on which the V-CHIP function is mounted and used, the user sets, in the DVD device, the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side by using a remote controller for the DVD and sets, in the television receiver, the viewing limitation level of the television receiver side by using a remote controller for a television.
Recently, a disc device incorporated television receiver has been provided in which the disc device having the parental function mounted is incorporated integrally in the television receiver on which the V-CHIP function is mounted. In this case, the viewing limitation level (parental level) by the parental function does not correspond to the viewing limitation level of the V-CHIP function in the ratio of 1 to 1. Accordingly, in such a disc device incorporated television receiver, one exclusive remote controller is used to individually set the viewing limitation level of the television receiver side and the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side.
Specifically, a TV set-up screen of the television receiver (simply referred to as a “receiver”, hereinafter) side is firstly displayed by using the exclusive remote controller. When a V-CHIP setting is selected from the screen, then, an access code screen is displayed. Thus, an access code (first cipher code) of a TV side is inputted. Then, since a V-CHIP setting screen is displayed, when a TV rating is selected from the V-CHIP setting screen, a TV rating screen is displayed. A desired rating (viewing limitation level) is selected from ratings displayed on the TV rating screen, so that the viewing limitation level of the receiver side is set. Then, the user displays a DVD set-up screen of the DVD device side by using the exclusive remote controller. When the user selects a parental setting from the screen, then, an access code screen is displayed. When the user inputs an access code (second cipher code) of the device side on the screen, then, a parental setting screen is displayed. When the user selects a desired level (viewing limitation level) from parental levels displayed on the parental setting screen so that the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side is set.
As described above, in the usual disc device incorporated television receiver, when the viewing limitation level of the receiver side and the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side are set, the viewing limitation levels need to be individually set from individual set-up screens by using the one exclusive remote controller. Therefore, the user operates the one exclusive remote controller, however, this operation is actually the same as the individual operations of two remote controllers. Thus, the user is forced to perform a complicated and troublesome operation. Further, as for the access code for setting the viewing limitation level, since two access codes are necessary for the DVD device side and the television receiver side in spite of the integral type, it is complicated to use the two access codes separately.
Further, since the viewing limitation levels need to be individually set in the DVD device side and the television receiver side, for instance, a forget to set may be possibly occurs that although the viewing limitation level is set in the DVD device side, the setting of the viewing limitation level is forgotten in the television receiver.
Still further, when the viewing limitation levels are individually set in the DVD device side and the television receiver side, for instance, if the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side is set to be low and the viewing limitation level of the television receiver side is set to be higher than it, a program that does not satisfy the viewing limitation level of the television receiver side, however satisfies the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side can be received and viewed without a problem. However, when the program is recorded by the DVD device and the recorded program is reproduced, the program is inconveniently caught by the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side and cannot be viewed.
Accordingly, for instance, when the user sets the viewing limitation level of the television receiver, the user ordinarily sets the viewing limitation level of the DVD device so as to correspond thereto. However, since the viewing limitation levels of the device and the television receiver need to be individually set as described above, there is a possibility that the viewing limitation levels may be undesirably set to wrong levels.
For the viewing limitation level of the television receiver side, levels can be set that correspond to MPAA ratings six levels of G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 and X) as independently regulated codes of MPAA (Motion Picture Association America). On the other hand, for the viewing limitation level of the DVD device side, levels can be set that correspond to the parental level composed of eight levels of a level 1 to a level 8. The divisions of the levels of both the sides are different. Consequently, for instance, the user hardly understand to which level in the parental level, R in the MPAA ratings corresponds, Which indices the wrong levels to be set.